At its 5th meeting in copenhagen in november 2008, the GFDrr consultative Group asked the secretariat to focus on a select group of priority countries to achieve increased impact. in GFDrr’s Track ii, Mainstreaming Disaster risk reduction in Development, this lead to a prioritization of operations in 20 core countries, including Burkina Faso, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Ghana, Haiti, indonesia, Kyrgyz Republic, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Marshall islands, Mozambique, Nepal, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Senegal, Solomon islands, Togo, vietnam, and Republic of Yemen.

This bulletin provides information on price
changes for the most commonly consumed staples and the potential impacts
of these changes on the cost of the food basket. Staples contribute 40
- 80% of energy intake for the most vulnerable population groups in developing
countries. Therefore, even a small increase in staple food prices has a
high impact on overall food consumption, especially when the food basket
is composed of very few staples.

The bulletin covers 60 countries over
the period July to September 2009 .

As part of its contribution to child
survival programming, the International Federation's Global Measles and
Polio Initiative aims to enable Red Cross Red Crescent National Societies
to continue their work as key social mobilization partners in the two related
successful global health initiatives: the Measles Initiative (MI) and the
Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI).

Each week, the World Health Organization
Health Action in Crises in Geneva produces information highlights on critical
health-related activities in countries where there are humanitarian crises.
Drawing on the various WHO programmes, contributions cover activities from
field and country offices and the support provided by WHO regional offices
and headquarters. The mandate of the WHO departments specifically concerned
with Emergency and Humanitarian Action in Crises is to increase the effectiveness
of the WHO contribution to crisis preparedness and response, transition
and recovery.

Sixty-fourth session
Item 72 (a) of the provisional agenda
Strengthening of the coordination of humanitarian and
disaster relief assistance of the United Nations, including
special economic assistance: strengthening of the coordination

This bulletin provides information on
price changes of the most commonly consumed staples and potential impacts
on the cost of a food basket. Staples contribute 40 - 80% of energy intake
for most vulnerable population groups in developing countries.

In 2008, armed conflicts and other situations
of violence shattered the lives of large numbers of children, women and
men in many countries among which the Democratic Republic of the Congo,
Georgia, Pakistan, Somalia, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Chad and Colombia.
Direct attacks on civilian communities, general insecurity and the destruction
of livelihoods forced innumerable civilians to flee their homes.

High food prices persist in developing countries despite an improved global cereal supply situation and sharp decline in international prices. This is affecting access to food of large numbers of low-income vulnerable populations.

A recent analysis of domestic food prices for 58 developing countries shows that latest prices are higher than a year earlier in 78 percent of the cases, and in 43 percent of the cases are higher than 3 months earlier. Mostly affected are sub-Saharan African countries.

Ottawa, Ontario - Delivering on
its commitment to make its international assistance more focused, more
effective and more accountable, the Government of Canada announced today
that it was moving forward on another element of its Aid Effectiveness
Agenda. It will be focusing its efforts in 20 countries by concentrating
resources, focusing programming and improving coordination.

"Our government promised to make
Canada's international assistance more effective," said the Minister
of International Cooperation, Beverley Oda.